Street racing is being investigated as a possible factor in a Sunday night crash that claimed the life of a 33-year-old woman in Richmond Hill.
The multi-vehicle collision occurred shortly after 6 p.m. in the area of Stouffville Road and Bridgewater Drive.
One person was pronounced dead at the scene and five other people were taken to hospital for treatment. Of those taken to hospital, three were initially reported to have suffered critical injuries.
On Monday morning, police confirmed that the victim was a 33-year-old woman who was a passenger in a Lamborghini that was involved in the crash. They said the remaining victims are all expected to survive.
Police have not said if any charges will be laid but confirmed that they are investigating whether street racing may be a factor in the crash.
According witnesses, the blue Lamborghini was heading along Stouffville Road when it crossed into oncoming traffic. A total of five vehicles were involved in the crash.
One witness reported seeing what appeared to be a body on the road.
“It was a wreck,” nearby resident Jason said. “Front ends were destroyed… It looks like there may have been some fire.”
Shoaib Malik, the nephew of a survivor of the crash, said his uncle had to swerve away from the Lamborghini, which he says “came into oncoming traffic.” The vehicle hit a guardrail before colliding with another vehicle.
“Luckily my uncle swerved enough in time and saved himself but his car still got sideswiped and almost got destroyed. He had to jump out of his car because his car caught on fire,” Shoaib Malik told CTV News Toronto.
The victim’s son, Azhar Malik, told CP24 shortly after the crash on Sunday that his father complained of back pain in hospital but was stabilized.
“He’s just shocked. He’s like, ‘I can’t close my eyes, I keep seeing that blue Lamborghini coming towards me. It seems like it was a dream or a nightmare.’ He’s just puzzled right now,” he said.
